THE DOG 



41 



wish to pass through the opening ; but I have never been 

 able to observe or obtain evidence to show that they would 

 without teaching pull down a latch in the way in which a 

 cat readily learns to do. Much as dogs have had to do with 

 guns, they display no kind of interest in the arms except so 

 far as they are tokens of sport to come. They connect the 



explosion with the capture of game, and will search for it in 

 the direction toward which the barrel was pointed. I have 

 not, however, been able to find that they know, as they 

 might readily do, and as a crow would surely do, when the 

 weapon was loaded and when empty. They show no interest 

 in it, such as monkeys readily display toward any mechanical 

 contrivance to which their attention has been directed. All 

 these negative features indicate that the mechanical side of 

 the canine mind is entirely undeveloped. 



